Can we get the branch name from Notebook

suryahyd39 — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 08:39:23 GMT

Hi Folks,

Is there a way to display the current git branch name from Databricks notebook

Thanks

Re: Can we get the branch name from Notebook

Louis_Frolio — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 17:14:04 GMT

Yes, you can display the current git branch name from a Databricks notebook in several ways:

Using the Databricks UI

The simplest method is to use the Databricks UI, which already shows the current branch name:
- In a notebook, look for the button next to the notebook name that identifies the current Git branch
- Click this button to open the Git dialog where you can see your current working branch and perform other Git operations[

Using Code in a Notebook

If you need to programmatically get the branch name within your notebook code:

1. Use the Databricks API approach:
```python
import json
import requests

def get_current_branch():
nb_context = json.loads(dbutils.notebook.entry_point.getDbutils().notebook().getContext().toJson())
api_url = nb_context['extraContext']['api_url']
api_token = nb_context['extraContext']['api_token']
db_repo_data = requests.get(f"{api_url}/api/2.0/repos",
headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {api_token}"}).json()
# Process the response to extract branch information
return db_repo_data
```

2. If your repository is accessible from the filesystem, you can try:
```python
# This might work in some Databricks configurations
!cat /Workspace/Repos/user@domain/repository/.git/HEAD | sed 's~ref: refs/heads/~~'
```

Note that standard Git Python libraries like `pygit2` or `GitPython` don't work well with Databricks Repos as they're configured differently than standard Git repositories. A community user reported that these packages cannot recognize Databricks Repos properly.

The Databricks UI approach is the most reliable method since it's built into the platform and doesn't require additional code or permissions.

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Can we get the branch name from Notebook

Re: Can we get the branch name from Notebook